Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth

[Martinus]

Who's getting it?

Already did but have to go to work first. 

[Martinus]

They don't even have faction-specific units anymore? 

DLC

Not really. This is a different game, faction specific units would make no sense.

[Martinus]

They don't even have faction-specific units anymore? 

Units are customized during the game, based on the affinities you level up, allowing you to choose perks for them.

Not just perks - each affinity also gets a number of completely unique units.

The initial unique abilities of each faction are relatively cosmetic (and one of many you choose upon landing, meaning you may meet, say, Franco-Iberia in 10 different games and each time they would have different abilities). The game philosophy is that how your faction develops is more reactive to your environment, mainly availability of different resources (so, while, say, Brasilia is more militaristic, playing Brasilia will not be like playing Zulus in CiV, where you would be pretty much left with one or two victory conditions).

[Syt]

Played the first 100 turns (and am off to work now).

It's very CivV like at first glance. Instead of barbarians you have alien life forms that you can either adapt to or fight against. They really don't like if you get too close to their nests. The game gives you "quests", which at the moment are simple things - recover goody huts ("resource capsules"), and quite a few decisions where you can decide what bonus certain buildings or technologies give, allowing you further customization of your faction.

Game startup has you pick one of 8 factions, combine it with one of 5 or so settler groups, and one of 5 or so start perks (an extra tech, some extra cash etc.). I'm playing a Franco-Iberian artists/culture faction atm, trying to live in harmony with the planet.

To get one thing out of the way: I don't find it has as much atmosphere as Alpha Centauri, but it has more than CivV, IMHO. YMMV.

A new thing is the orbital layer. You can launch satellites that give bonus perks to ground areas for a limited time (orbital decay and all that). The research tree branches out in 6 directions, with main techs to advance down the tree, and each main tech having one or two "sub techs" that give additional buildings or perks, but are not required to advance to new stuff.

Overall, I feel there's a VERY strong focus on being able to customize your faction to your play style, beginning with your starting parameters, over the technologies that you choose to research (or not), to the quest decisions, unit customization and virtues. Virtues replace civics and come in 4 branches of 3 levels each. Hitting milestones in each branch or tier will unlock additional perks (e.g. 6 or 7 level 1 virtues will unlock a free virtue). There's several victory conditions, and you can pursue three affinities - harmony (embracing the new environment and peacefully coexisting with it), subjugation (turning the alien planet into an Earth equivalent), and one in between.

I'm having fun so far, and look forward to continue playing tonight.

[Syt]

For those interested, quill18 has uploaded 13 episodes of a Let's Play:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs3acGYgI1-sjpUfVebQ6d0ATUd3K2y_l

[Martinus]

Good summary from Syt, but I would not describe three Affinities the way he did - they are more of a triad than "two extremes and the center".

The Harmony affinity is indeed about becoming one with the planet (your units, cities and even leader will start to look more green and "gooey"); you will eventually get alien units under your command, and you can heal (rather than be harmed) by miasma that covers some tiles. It also lends itself to faster, more agile units. Think zerg. They get a special victory condition where they mindfuck everybody to meld into the planet's consciousness.

The Supremacy affinity is the borg - they are about becoming resistant to any hostile conditions (whether on this planet or others) through full cyborgisation. They will eventually develop into a faction of sleek, steel machines and units that get huge bonuses through correct placement/synergies. They get a special victory condition where they build a warp gate back to Earth and send units there to "liberate the Earthlings from the slavery of mortal flesh".

The Purity affinity is the W40's Empire of Man - they are about killing the aliens and adapting the planet to human needs. They eventually develop battle suits and floating juggernauts of units, with a very Roman/chivalry feel to them, and get terraforming technologies. They get a special victory condition where they build a warp gate to Earth and manage to settle a certain number of colonists that come through, while protecting them from other factions and aliens.

[Martinus]

Here is an example of the People's African Union's leader having gone full Supremacy:

[Martinus]

The CEO of American Reclamation Corporation having gone full Purity:

[Syt]

miasma that covers some tiles

My starting location is miasma central compared to there other factions' drop points, so going harmony kinda made sense. Also something artsy French guys would probably go for.

[Martinus]

And the Prophetess of the Kavithan Protectorate, having gone full Harmony. Notice the organic bio-implants in her brain and the "melange" eyes (btw, one of the special Covert Ops ability of high level Harmony is to call a Siege Worm strike on an enemy city )

[Martinus]

miasma that covers some tiles

My starting location is miasma central compared to there other factions' drop points, so going harmony kinda made sense. Also something artsy French guys would probably go for.

Well, I can see pretty much every leader going every Affinity. A cold-calculating rational cyborg Elodie makes as much sense (and so does a Purity one, trying to create a "New Rome").

I think my starting game will be with American Reclaimation Corporation and Scientists.

[Legbiter]

To get one thing out of the way: I don't find it has as much atmosphere as Alpha Centauri...

Ah ok, thanks for that.

[Legbiter]

The Purity affinity is the W40's Empire of Man - they are about killing the aliens and adapting the planet to human needs. They eventually develop battle suits and floating juggernauts of units, with a very Roman/chivalry feel to them, and get terraforming technologies. They get a special victory condition where they build a warp gate to Earth and manage to settle a certain number of colonists that come through, while protecting them from other factions and aliens.

Sounds cool. 

[Syt]

To get one thing out of the way: I don't find it has as much atmosphere as Alpha Centauri...

Ah ok, thanks for that.

It's still better than CivV in that regard. The best atmosphere in a current 4X would probably be Endless Legend at the moment, thanks to its eclectic mix of factions of BDSM mages, post apocalyptic vault dwellers, bizarre cultists, spirits-bound-in-armor, reptile scholars, or almost-but-not-quite-zerg - each with its own stories and quests lines.

[Grey Fox]

To get one thing out of the way: I don't find it has as much atmosphere as Alpha Centauri...

Ah ok, thanks for that.

That's just Nostalgia talking.